Aston Martin has launched a road-legal version of their Formula One safety car to mark the British manufacturer's return to the grid after a 60-year hiatus.
The Vantage F1 Edition, available as a coupé or a roadster, has been unveiled ahead of Formula One's opening race of the 2021 season in Bahrain this weekend (March 26-28).
The special-edition Vantage is one of the first new model variants to be designed under the direction of the company’s new chief executive Tobias Moers, with the first deliveries to customers pencilled in for May this year.
According to Aston Martin, the F1 will “sit at the top of the Vantage model line” and will differ from the manufacturer's standard Vantage with “unique and significant chassis and aerodynamic improvements developed by Aston Martin’s hugely experienced engineering team.”
The F1's power output has been cranked up by 25bhp to 535bhp in the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, boasting an 8-speed automatic gearbox to increase the driver's “feeling of directness and precision”.
That will propel the coupé from 0 to 62mph in 3.6 seconds up to a top speed of 195mph, with open-topped roadster managing 3.7 seconds and 190mph respectively.
However, the car isn't particularly for the economically minded – as the coupé averages just 24.3mpg and CO2 emissions are 264g/km, or 263g/km for the roadster.
Larger 21-inch Pirelli tyres – increased from the standard 20-inch – have been designed specifically for the F1 to “provide greater feedback to the driver to ensure progressive on-limit handling to give maximum confidence in even the most extreme track driving scenarios.”
The F1 boasts significant engineering upgrades from its standard Vantage counterpart – with major upgrades made to the chassis, aerodynamics, suspension, steering.
Other enhancements to the Vantage include a comprehensive new aero kit featuring a full-width front splitter, front dive planes, underbody turning vanes, and most obviously – a striking new rear wing to complete its F1 safety car aesthetic.
The British marque is offering the F1 in various colour palettes and with varying trim options including an Aston Martin Racing Green colour scheme, in tribute to the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One team car and their on-track Vantage Safety Car.
Exterior paint colours are available in both a Satin or Gloss finish, and other colour options include Jet Black and Lunar White, all of which are complimented by a Solid Matte Dark Grey racing graphic.
The F1's interior showcases new Obsidian Black Leather and Phantom Grey Alcantara upholstery and trim, with a choice of Lime Green, Obsidian Black, Wolf Grey or Spicy Red contrast stripe and stitching.
The Vantage F1 Edition is further distinguished by its vaned grille as standard, 2×2 Twill Carbon Fibre exterior detailing, unique graphics, quad exhausts and a new design of Satin Black Diamond Turned 21” alloy wheel.
Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Tobias Moers said: “Performance is at the heart of every Aston Martin, but when it wears an F1 badge it has to be a truly exceptional car.
“Vantage was already the most focused sports car in our range but in the development of our Official Safety Car of Formula 1, it had to be a true athlete: more powerful; more agile; more immediate and more exciting to drive. And – of course – quicker and more capable in a race-track environment,” he added.
“I set the engineering team a tough target, as I was insistent that gains in performance came via genuine improvements in the car’s dynamics, and not by fitting track-optimised tyres.
“The results speak for themselves. A Vantage to appeal to the most discerning drivers and a new model that marks an exciting moment in Aston Martin’s history”.
The new Vantage F1 Edition is on sale in the UK now with a recommended retail price of £142,000.
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Keyword: Aston Martin launch road-legal version of F1's safety car